Dog Health Questions: What kind of dog should I get?

I live in a medium sized house, pretty big yard. I live alone and so I'm sort of lonely and I want a partner.
I am very active, I like to go on long walks and take jogs
I want a dog that is medium sized - large
I want a dog that isn't ugly, something really attractive
I've had a dog before, it was a mutt when I was younger, so I already know something about dog training.
I don't mind shedding, grooming, etc. I work at home, so I'm home a lot.

Soooo, give me some ideas so I can do more research on different types of breeds that I might want to get.
Thanks!

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i have a dog myself and we are pretty similar i have a Labrador retriever who is like you described your "dream dog". another dog would be a golden retriever or a husky.

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• Well with those things almost any breed of dog over 50 pounds fits your wants, so I can't really suggest a breed.
  
  My personal favorite is a Duck Tolling Retriever, they are pretty attractive looking dogs (at least I think so) and it likes exercise. If you want an uncommon dog, I also like kooikers, but don't know too much about them yet so you would need to the research if you want to look into that breed. They are a bit smaller though. Like 35-55ish pounds.


• I don't think there is an "ugly" dog, haha. Even the "ugliest ones" are real cute. As for which dog you should get, well I got an Australian Shepard, and he's my first dog. He is amazing and smart and active and I never have problems with him. Of course like the typical dog he dug and chewed but after some repellent and conditioning he has stopped. He's very smart and learned quick and he's friendly with not only our cat, but everyone else. Good luck!


• I have a springer Spaniel. He is a wonderful dog, Medium build and he is very active, loves to play ball, but at night or during the day when I came home from work, he will curl up in my lap and wants to be loved on. Not something u asked about but he is also great for guarding my house and kids but not aggressive.


• Wow, you practically spelled it out! Get a Siberian Husky. They are medium to large sized dogs, very beautiful, need lots of exercise (very active) and require a lot of attention. They shed A LOT though, but you already said you don't mind shedding.


• On the animal planet website there is a dog breed selector that asks about 20 or so questions about living arrangements, activity level, grooming, etc and then gives you matches on the breeds with a % and pic.


• german shepherd hello!!! they are the best great companions and very protective. they are eager learners though sometimes they can be stubburn. they are very acttive and love being outdoors as well as indoors on your lap if you want a dog thats about a 100 lbs on your lap of course


• Golden Retriever
  Cocker Spaniel
  Beagle
  Labrador
  German Shepard
  Dalmation
  siberian husky
  Samoyed
  
  I would go for either the golden retriever, the labrador, the cocker spaniel or the samoyed :) All are very very cute and have energy:)


• Definitely an Australian shepard! they are sweet and loyal like a golden retriever and they'll adore you for being active or big yards! They're beautiful and easy to train.


• A Rough Collie(lassie)! That's what I have. He seems like just the right dog for you. Very attractive dog.


• Get a shelter dog. There are plenty of needy dogs and puppies at your local pound. :)


• Collies are very social. Just look at Lassie.
  
  FACT: Average life span of a collie is 13-15 years.
  
  There is much grooming to be done. One brushing a day is recommended. Most loyal breed I have heard of. VERY smart and fun to train also. I highly recommend getting a Rough Collie. www.bluridgecollies.com always has a litter available if you cannot find one at a shelter. NO "E" IN WEBSITE ADDRESS! I DID NOT MAKE A TYPO! Although, Blue Ridge Collies IS another breeder. Search all shelters near your before going to a breeder. Save a dog, make a friend.
  
  Also, I recommend collie mixes.
  
  IMPORTANT: Do as much research as possible on the breed you choose, whether it be a collie or not.


• A - G O L D E N - R E T R I E V E R ! ! ! ! ! !Golden Retrievers are the best, I have one and it is definitely energetic cute and very handsome or pretty when they grow up.
  
  1. Large dog.... CHECK!
  
  2. It isn´t ugly....CHECK! (its actually beautiful.
  
  3. It does shed, but not that much....CHECK! I have one!!!! And he is a very beautiful puppy!
  
  He is also not agressive!
  
  Picture:
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Golden_Retriever_standing_Tucker.jpg
  Video:
  http://animal.discovery.com/videos/dogs-101-golden-retriever.html
  
  Good luck! I hope you get a Golden!
  
  ---------------------------------------…
  
  I changed the picture link because it sent me someplace of an offroad thing, but you can check it now

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Dog Health Questions: Dog training please help?

i am trying to train my dog he doesn't bite but I want him to sit stay
follow me and not pull why i am walking him come when I call him
protect me stay around the yard don't go after other animals

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Free Dog training tips and tricks ebook.

Click on link and download. It's free!

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• Wow, you're kind of all over the place with what you want.
  
  Basic commands like sit, stay, and come are easy enough to teach using positive reinforcement and there are tons of books and web sites that can help with this.
  
  Not pulling on a leash can also be easily resolved. You can purchase a head halter or a harness that attaches in the front. Either of those will reduce pulling.
  
  Not going after other animals is something that you may have to resolve through management rather than modification. That means if you don't want your dog chasing other animals, don't let him.
  
  If you want your dog to stay in your yard, get a fence.
  
  The protection issue is something that you won't have much luck with. Labs aren't the right breed and at over 6 years old, it's a bit late to begin that kind of training.


• You can visit http://www.dogstraining.info .It provide you with the most popular and easiest dog training Guide


• At his age, retraining requires extreme patience and a professional.
  Contact the local kennel club for referral to an obedience trainer/school

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Dog Health Questions: Need a search dog to find my lost cat, know of anyone in the Connecticut area who does this?

My declawed cat got out 2 days ago and has not been spotted since. There are heavy woods in the area and I have idea how to go about searching it. I would like to find someone with a dog trained to find pets, but they are not exactly in the phone book. If you know of anyone, any websites or anything please let me know.

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Try calling your local Animal Control Officer. (In Connecticut, they're usually available through the Police Department.) S/he might know of someone in the area.

When my cat (also declawed) got out, I was afraid he had gotten into the woods and went through looking for him. Where I found him, though, was in some shrubs in front of a neighbor's house. It took a can of tuna and help from the Animal Control Officer, but I finally got him into his crate and into the house.

Good luck! I hope you find your cat soon!

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• It doens't take much training for a dog to find a cat. Our neighbors asked us to help them find theirs when we had our basset hound, and we didn't know if he could. We gave him something to sniff and he went straight there. Just find someone with a hound/scent breed and give it a try.


• do you want a Lost Cat Poster Made? if you would like i can make you oen aslong as you can get me a picture of the cat =], reply at: mod_ty@yahoo.com

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Dog Health Questions: Has anyone here taken a homestudy dog training course?

My granddaughter is interested in something called Animal Behavior College (or something like that). I have my doubts about homestudy anything, particularly something hands-on like training. BUT I'm trying to keep an open mind.

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I am a current student of ABC, and it is the best school I have ever been. While I do agree that an animal needs to be present to train, ABC does ask you work with your own dog or a friends to train. At step 10 you a required to do an externship at a local shelter with specific types of dogs altering their behavior. Also in step 10 requires a certified trainer to grade you in a group class setting, for me it is at a shelter with the staff. There the mentor grades and corrects what you are doing. Stages 1-9 are book work, but ABC does ask you have a practice dog to apply the knowledge you just learned.
I do get a lot of grief from people who say that this school is a spam and just want your money. People, especially old school dominate theory trainers, tell me I am way too young to have that much understanding in Canine Behavior. The truth is that this school is dedicated to practicing positive methods of dog training(scientifically proven methods btw), and teaches people in a step by step manor. Very simple, however people who are stuck in the dominate theory of dog training will find it a challenge. The key to passing and being a good dog trainer is to be open minded with the up to date training methods. In the past 5 years alone Canine Comprehension has sky rocketed, new improve teachings are out there.
In short here are facts about this school: Victoria Stillwell( animal planet's It's me or the dog) graduated from there, you have a program manager who grades and answers any questions you have,most up to date training technics, wonderful alumni program, and most success rate of people passing.
It is true you don't need education to be a dog trainer. However the best dog trainers do.
Also the have a vet assistant program that I will be enrolling in if you are interested.
* I am in no way a program manager for this school, I am a student and that is all.
please if you want to ask me more questions please e-mail me at dare2howl@yahoo.com, I would be happy to talk to you and answer any of your concerns about home studying. I tell you I was skeptical too. But this is the best choice I have ever made for myself.

Dog Training Methods

• Tell your granddaughter to volunteer at PAWS, Humane Society, SPCA, city and county pounds. Most will take her if she is at least 14 and will train her and of course only allow her to have hands on with select dogs. This is an excellent way for a young person to learn the reality of dog behavior and training. She will handle dogs (and cats) appropriate for her as determined by staff, witness all kinds of canine behavior in kenneled dogs and learn so much.
  
  She probably just wants a certificate to state she knows this but honestly the paper it's printed on is worth more than the course.


• I wouldn't trust any kind of animal behavior course that is online- there is too much that requires you be present with an animal in order to figure it out. Granted- some things ARE purely theory/intellectual- but there is a LOT of experience required in order to figure out how to put ALL that "theory" and "book learning" to the test.
  
  I wouldn't be surprised to find that your granddaughter learns that
  a) it requires finding a place to do on-site internships
  or
  b) that most places don't trust the "knowledge" she's got without some hands-on experience.
  
  That doesn't mean she can't learn from it or that its useless- but I don't know that I would pay a lot of money for it OR trust it without a really good recommendation that I trust.


• I also looked into that. Half of the reviews I researched said it was a huge scam and they basically got a bunch of scrap paper and had to observe petsmart trainers- basically they got nothing out of the school. Others enjoyed it and said it was a good experience.
  
  I decided not to go... for how much it cost, the risk was too high to be conned out of that amount of money. Instead, I'm going to an actual physical school. Besides, I did online high school for a year and it was HARD!
  
  But, y'know, do loads of background research on it and decide for yourself if it's something she would have a good experience with.

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